


When you don't pluck up the courage and ask her...

by jalapeno_jazz



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Ron is clueless, harry is not, so clueless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-22
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2020-12-28 04:02:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21130439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jalapeno_jazz/pseuds/jalapeno_jazz
Summary: It's Eighth Year and there's another Yule Ball at Hogwarts. Has Ronald learned his lesson? I think not.





	When you don't pluck up the courage and ask her...

**Author's Note:**

> Written in response to a post in the Strictly Dramione FB group - written from Harry's perspective.
> 
> Completely unbeta-ed.

If there was one thing Harry did, it was listen to directions. Hell, that had kept him alive for the last however many years, Hermione’s counsel especially. One, she was scarily smart - the brightest witch of their age and all that, two, give her a little bit of time and she could puzzle out anything. But importantly, in all those years, they had built a base of trust and he knew that she was a person of her word - what she said, she meant. Harry had long ago figured that out.

Now Ron, on the other hand…

“Fuck! What does Hermione mean she already has a date! What’s that about?”

“I think just that, Ron.” Harry looked up from the piece of parchment where he was scratching out an essay on the impact of the moons of Jupiter on weather patterns. “It’s a week before the dance. Did you really expect her to wait for you?”

“Of course!” Ron fumed. “It was supposed to be you and Gin and Hermione and me this year! I mean really…what was she thinking?”

Harry put down his quill and raised one eyebrow at his friend, hoping Ron would find one ounce of self-awareness.

“I’m having flashbacks to fourth year, Ron. Hermione was very clear the last time Hogwarts had a Yule Ball that you needed to ask her… and not as a last resort.” Harry tried to not sound like an I told you so, but the fact was he had told Ron that if he didn’t make a move, someone would.

“Pshaw…that was different.” Ron retorted.

Nope, thought Harry. He wasn’t going to find that ounce.

“That was way back then. This is nothing like that.”

“Oh?” Harry questioned. “I thought you told Hermione that you didn’t want to be exclusive before we came back to school this year. That you wanted to see what was out there. That doesn’t sound like she should have the expectation that you’d be asking her to the ball.”

Ron brushed off Harry’s comment, leaning back in his chair. “Look. It’s our last year at Hogwarts. Given everything we’ve been through, it doesn’t make any sense for me to tie myself down. I want options. I need to see what’s out there.”

“Well, the consequence of you having options is that she does too.”

“Yeah, but we both know that this is Hermione. We’re made for each other. It’s not like she’s dating other blokes.”

That doesn’t mean she won’t, Harry thought, but decided to not voice that out loud.

Ron continued his thought. “Well, I’m sure she found someone to take her as a friend. That’s no big deal. I’ll tell you what, I’ll just ask Padma again, she’ll go with me.” Ron leaned back so far he almost lost his balance, but caught himself and righted his chair.” And where is Hermione anyways? I thought she was going to help us with our Astronomy essays.”

Harry shook his head and turned his attention back to his essay.

One week later, Harry grinned as Ginny and Hermione walked down the stairs. They both looked fantastic, Ginny in black and Hermione dressed festively in a deep emerald green. The common room was clearing out as couples headed down to the Great Hall, in all of its festive glory. At least he didn’t have to start the ball this year, Harry thought, as he offered his arm to Ginny.

Ron had gone ahead to pick up Luna from Ravenclaw Tower. Unsurprisingly, it turned out that Padma Patil was not going to make the same mistake twice. She’d rather take her chances and go to the dance without a date than go with Ron. Luna, however, didn’t have a date, and told Ron that she would be delighted for him to accompany her.

Harry checked his watch. “You’re sure you don’t want us to wait for you?”

“No, you two go ahead. I’ll be there soon,” Hermione said, waving them off. “Have fun.”

“Okay. Save a dance for me,” Harry teased as he and Ginny ducked out of the portrait hole.

It turned out that Harry never got that dance. He hardly saw Hermione the whole night. She had made quite a stir walking in on the arm of Draco Malfoy, but once Hermione and Draco took the floor, he lost sight of them, between dancing with his own date and trying his best to settle down Ron.

“Seriously? Malfoy? That’s who asked her? Why would she say yes to him?”

Harry sighed. He poured a cup of punch for Ron’s date after pouring one for his own, since it didn’t look like Ron was going to do it. He started walking back to the table where the girls were waiting, knowing Ron would follow.

The thing was, Malfoy had turned out to be a pretty okay guy, Harry had realized this year. He had sought Malfoy while he had been waiting to stand trial. As Harry had suspected, given what had happened on the Astronomy Tower and again at Malfoy Manor, Malfoy was just a pawn. He had been coerced into acting because he feared for his mother’s safety and felt like he had to play a certain part, but his heart hadn’t been in it for a long time. It was why Harry had ended up testifying for Malfoy. Had he been a git in the past? Yes. But in the end, he hadn’t really done anything, other than let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts — and that was because his mother’s life had been hanging in the balance. It seemed like such a waste for Malfoy to bear the brunt of his father’s actions and ideology (and incompetence).

This year at Hogwarts, Malfoy had been pretty quiet, focusing on his work. He was cordial if you approached him, but otherwise seemed to keep to himself. Gone was the braggadocio of past years. Harry could only imagine what he had seen, having Voldemort in residence at Malfoy Manor for the better part of two years.

And Hermione? Harry knew that she and Malfoy had started studying together after being partnered for a potions project earlier that fall. When he questioned why he didn’t see her at their usual table in the library, she had shrugged and explained, “No offense, Harry, but unlike you and Ron, Draco is in almost all of my classes, so it makes sense for me to study with him. He prefers to meet in out of the way classrooms so we don’t get interrupted. And besides, Ron needs to do his own work. I can’t take his N.E.W.T.s for him!”

Harry wound his way through the tables, listening to Ron continue his rant, pausing to nod and say un-huh at appropriate intervals. After waiting for Ginny to take a sip, he extended his arm, pulling her back to the dance floor. There, at least, was one place where Ron wouldn’t follow.

The next morning, Harry and Ron found Hermione already in the Great Hall. She had already eaten her breakfast and was preparing to leave when they sat down across the table from her.

“Had a good evening, boys?” She smiled at them.

“Well yes, I did.” Harry replied, grinning in return, thinking about what he and Ginny had been doing behind the tapestry on the fifth floor. It had definitely been a good night.

Ron either didn’t hear Hermione or ignored her, his attention already turned to loading his plate.

If Hermione noticed the slight, she didn’t let on. She picked up her bag, waiving as she left. “I’ll see you later. I’m heading to work on a potion.”

Christmas at the Burrow was bigger than it had ever been before. It was as if the last couple years had not happened, save for fewer place settings at the table. Harry wondered if Mrs. Weasley was overcompensating, trying to distract herself from Fred’s absence. Harry, Ginny and Ron had all been pressed into service by Mrs. Weasley, each with a list of chores to tackle before everyone else arrived for dinner. While Hermione had gone home over the break to spend time with her parents, she would get there in time for dinner.

Hermione arrived with her arms full of presents and hugged all three of her friends tightly, once she set them down. “Happy Christmas!”

Ginny pulled Hermione to sit beside her on the couch, while Ron and Harry found seats on the floor in front of it. It hadn’t been that long since they had all been together, but there was still catching up to do.

“How are your parents?” Harry wanted to know, hoping the Grangers were readjusting to England after their transition back from Australia.

Hermione’s face turned serious. “We’re getting there. They still aren’t thrilled with what I did, but at least they understand why.”

Ginny leaned in close and lifted a finger to touch Hermione’s necklace, a small blue stone dangling from a thin chain. “Ooh…is that a sapphire. It’s lovely. Was that a gift from them?”

Harry noticed the color in Hermione’s cheeks change just a fraction, as she raised her hand to take hold of the pendant. She started to answer, but at that moment, Molly came in and gathered Hermione into her arms. “Hermione, dear. Happy Christmas! It’s so good to see you. Come, I could use your help… You too, Ginevra.” She pulled Hermione towards the kitchen, and Ginny followed rolling her eyes.

As Harry and Ron continued working through their list, Harry decided it was a good time to talk to Ron about his relationship with Ginny. Ron knew Harry was serious about his sister… and didn’t want to know the details, but Harry wanted to make sure Ron was okay with where he thought they were heading.

“So, Ron…” he began carefully. “You know how I bought Ginny a necklace for Christmas…”

“Yeah.”

“I really think that she’s the one. I know you probably already know this, but I really love your sister.”

“Of course, Harry. You’re good for her, and besides, you’re already as good as a brother to me.” Ron smacked him in the arm.

Harry relaxed. “Good. I just want to make sure you are okay with that.”

“Yep. You and Ginny and me and Hermione, that’s how it will be.”

Harry gave Ron a puzzled look. “Huh? But you two aren’t dating.”

“No, you know I'm not ready to be serious yet.”

Harry’s jaw hung open. “Then why do you expect you’ll be with her?”

“Come on, Harry.” Ron scolded. “It’s Hermione. She’ll always love me. Once I’m ready, we’ll be just like Mum and Dad.”

Harry was perplexed. Did Ron really think that Hermione would ever be like his mother? Harry definitely couldn’t see that happening. What he did see was a slow motion car crash where Ron’s heart ended up splattered on the pavement, but Ron was the only one in the car.

There was pandemonium in the Great Hall when the mail was delivered on Valentine’s Day. Owls swooped everywhere dropping off love notes and trinkets at the four house tables. Harry had made sure to order Ginny some roses. As they were delivered, Ginny leaned over and kissed Harry, so he didn’t notice that an owl had delivered a box of chocolates in front of Hermione until he heard a yelp and looked up to see Ron rubbing his hand and Hermione putting her wand back down.

“Clearly, Ronald, these are not for you. If they had been, the owl would have left them there.” Hermione scolded, pointing to the table in front of Ron.

Harry’s eyes drifted over to the Slytherin table and saw Malfoy quickly put his head down, his shoulders shaking slightly, as if he was laughing. A few minutes later, Hermione scoped up her bag and placed the box of chocolates in it, saying she was heading to study. Harry wasn’t surprised when Malfoy got up to leave only a few minutes later.

It was a few days before Harry could catch Hermione by herself. On the next Hogsmeade weekend, he hung back in Flourish and Blotts for a moment after Ron left to get a table at the Three Broomsticks, not wanting to stay in the bookstore. Harry found Hermione in the history section and slid his arm around hers. “So…you and Malfoy?” He asked as casually as he could.

“And?” Hermione turned to face him, abruptly, pulling her arm from his. “What of it?”

“No…nothing.” Harry backtracked. He hadn’t meant to imply anything, he was just confirming his suspicion. “I just realized that you two must be more than just study partners at this point. After all, how often do you send your study partner a Valentine’s Day gift?”

Hermione’s brow furrowed. “Draco and I are friends. Is that a problem?”

“Not at all. You know I have no problem with Malfoy at this point. I just want you to be happy.”

“I am.” Hermione answered plainly. “Draco and I work well together. And, I like him.”

“And Ron?” Harry asked, knowing that it might get him in trouble.

“What about Ron? He’s still my friend.”

“Yeah, but you know he likes you, ‘Mione.”

“Hmm… Well, as I told him before, if and when he gets his act together and decides that he is ready to pursue a relationship, we’ll see where I am. But, I’m not going to sit and wait for him. That’s not how life works.”

She paused. “And why do I need to explain this to you, Harry?”

Harry looked sheepish. “I just want what is best for both you and Ron… even if it isn’t the two of you together.”

Hermione’s face softened. “Ron is Ron. I will always be his friend. But, that doesn’t mean that we will end up together. If nothing else, being out from under the threat of war and having a relatively normal school year has shown me that... much like you have finally realized how much Ginny means to you.” She put down the book she had been holding and pinched his cheek and started pulling him towards the door. “Now, I think you owe me a butterbeer.”

Before long, April was upon them. The Seventh and Eighth Years had their heads down, almost solely focused on revisions for their N.E.W.T.s. For many, what came next was riding on their results. Harry put much of his effort into D.A.D.A, Transfiguration and Charms, knowing those three were key for entering the Auror corps, but he couldn’t neglect his other subjects, he’d need at least five Exceeds Expectations to make it into the program.

Hermione still ate meals with them, but was otherwise almost always gone. Harry knew she felt a lot of pressure to do well on all her N.E.W.T.s. She had a reputation to uphold. She wanted to clerk with the Wizengamot, which wouldn’t take anyone without stellar results in a much larger number of subjects. Not even Percy had been accepted for that.

While the others had their heads down, focused on the upcoming exams, Ron was coasting. He had an offer to try out with the practice team for the Chudley Cannons after graduation and he was also weighing working with George at the shop. Harry was happy for his friend, but did his best to avoid the Gryffindor common room, since Ron was not so understanding about the amount of studying Harry and the others were putting in. He had resorted to playing Wizard's Chess with one of the Sixth Years when he could and sulking and causing trouble when he couldn’t.

“Come on, Harry. You went over that already.” Ron groused, sitting at the chess board, as Harry repeated his wand work on a particularly tricky charm. “You’re always studying. Hermione’s never here. It’s like I don’t even have friends.”

Harry raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more.

“Sorry,” Ron looked apologetic. “I just want this to all be done, so we can move on.”

Harry nodded, he too was looking forward to this year being behind them. He sighed. “I’ll play one game, and then I have to get back to it.”

Ron grinned and took his move.

For Harry, graduation was a somber affair. Hogwarts had been his home for most of the last eight years. Even with the war, it was still such a part of him that he couldn’t contemplate what life would be like now that he wasn’t getting on the Hogwarts Express next September. He was moving into Grimmauld Place, and expected he would spend the better part of the summer fixing it up. Ginny and Hermione were planning to get a flat near Diagon Alley… if they could convince Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Ron would be off to the Cannons for summer tryouts and, hopefully, practice.

It was all happening so fast. He looked around at all his classmates with their parents, Ginny and Ron both swallowed in a sea of redheads. He saw the Grangers standing to the side engaged in conversation with Narcissa Malfoy. They wouldn’t know why others were avoiding her. My, how things changed, Harry thought to himself. He went over to say hello, and made small talk until Malfoy walked up to the group.

“Potter.” He extended his hand towards Harry, standing still as if waiting to see what he would do.

“Malfoy.” Harry grinned, taking his hand in his, both of them understanding the significance of that gesture.

Hermione chose that moment to appear, wrapping her arms around both of them. She kissed Harry on his cheek and then turned and kissed Draco on his. “Gentlemen.” She said knowingly.

Waiting for N.E.W.T.s results was an exercise in extreme patience. Ron had already headed off to Devonshire and seemingly was having the time of his life, if Witch Weekly’s reporting was at all accurate. Meanwhile, Harry’s summer was spent stripping wallpaper, removing doxies and scrubbing the residue of dark magic from every surface of his new home.

Hermione and Ginny worked beside him most days. They needed something to do. And, to Harry’s great surprise, Malfoy could be found helping many days as well. The two men had fallen into an easy familiarity, less worried about appearances, both seemingly interested in getting to know one another. Of course, Hermione wanted to help that along. Harry suspected that but for her, he may not have had help from the blond wizard.

A benefit of Malfoy’s assistance in the Black family home was that with some guidance from his mother, Malfoy was even able to get the portrait of Walburga Black off of the wall. One day of screaming about mud bloods and blood traitors had been enough for Malfoy. He had removed her from the front hall the very next day. Kreacher beamed when Harry gave him the portrait for his personal space. Harry was just glad to not have to see or hear Walburga again.

Fridays found many of the Eighth Years hanging out at the Leaky Cauldron. The first few weeks the former Slytherins had been at a booth on their own, but slowly, they joined the larger group. Truth was, the war had been hard on all of them. Fortunately, Daphne Greengrass and Tracey Davis were liked by most, and after they joined the circle, it was only a few awkward apologies and conversations before several of the others joined the larger group as well. It had to have helped put everyone at ease that Harry and Malfoy were not just on speaking terms, but downright friendly. If those two could reconcile their differences, it was much easier for Zabini and Nott who hadn’t actively participated in the war to blend into the group of former Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws.

On a Wednesday morning in early July, Harry woke up to a tapping on his window. He didn’t recognize the owl, so he jumped up to let it in. As he went to open his envelope, he heard the floo downstairs come to life and raced down the stairs to the drawing room. Hermione rushed in wide-eyed, still in her pyjamas, clutching her envelope in her hand. Ginny popped out right behind her.

The two women eyed him expectantly. “Well?” Ginny finally broke the silence.

“I haven’t opened it yet. You?” Harry responded.

“Neither have we!” Hermione squealed. “And it’s killing me!”

Ginny stepped between them, “Well, let’s do it then.”

As they started to open their letters, the floo sprung to life once more, and Malfoy stepped out of the fireplace brandishing his envelope. “I figured I’d find you here.” He said, turning to Hermione, with an expectant look on his face.

Hermione could wait no longer. She opened her envelope and after just a moment, closed her eyes.

Harry did a quick scan of his DADA, Transfiguration and Charms grades and sighed in relief. He grabbed Ginny, who was jumping up and down, obviously pleased with her results.

Malfoy looked over Hermione’s shoulder and his face broke into a grin. He picked her up and gave her a bear hug. “Yes! Brilliant! I knew you could do it.”

Ginny and Harry stopped their celebration and turned to Hermione. “And?” Ginny asked.

“She got Os in every one of them!” Draco exclaimed.

Hermione moved to sit down, momentarily overwhelmed. She looked up at Draco expectantly.

“I got what I needed.” He confirmed.

With that, her face broke into smile. Draco would be able to pursue his Potions mastery.  
It was good results all around.

Draco suddenly leapt into the floo and called for Malfoy Manor, yelling “I’ll be right back.”

The others hardly had time to react before he popped back out of the floo brandishing a bottle of champagne in each arm. “Clearly, we need to celebrate!” He cried, popping the cork out of one of the bottles.

When Ron came home to visit at the end of the summer, it really felt as if things had shifted. Harry had already started his Auror training, so he didn’t have as much time to spend with Ron as he would have liked. Ron would be off again for the fall season, and wanted to spend his time hanging out, while most of the others were now onto their next steps. Fridays were still a time to gather, but Ron found it weird to see everyone mingling together, as he hadn’t been there for its beginnings.

Hermione and Harry found what time they could for him, and they mainly spent it at Grimmauld Place, sometimes sitting around a bottle of firewhisky, with both of the boys telling stories of what they were up to, or reminiscing over adventures past. For her part, Hermione just listened, content to let Harry and Ron fill the space.

As Hermione was leaving one night, Ron bent down to give her a kiss. Harry didn’t think Ron was paying enough attention to notice how she turned her cheek to the side and tried to squirm out of his embrace. “I really missed you, ‘Mione. It’s good to see you.”

Hermione gave a nervous laugh and headed for the flue. “It was good to see you too, Ron.”

After she left, Harry turned to Ron, “What was that?”

“What?” Ron asked, blissfully unaware.

“You tried to kiss her.” Harry responded.

“And? It’s Hermione, why wouldn’t I kiss her?”

He really was clueless, Harry thought. “Uh…according to Witch Weekly, you’ve got plenty of witches in your company. What would you expect Hermione to think?”

“Aww, come on, Harry. I’m just having a bit of fun with those witches. You may be ready to settle down, but I’m not.”

Harry just looked at his friend incredulously and shook his head. “You’re playing with fire, Ron, and you don’t seem to realize it.”

Ron shrugged and took another swig of his drink.

Ron’s visit for Christmas was a short one - lasting only until the beginning of the New Year. The Cannons were actually doing decently this year, and the coach didn’t want to lose momentum. Harry, Ron and Hermione gathered with the rest of the Weasleys over dinner at the Burrow, but Harry noticed that Hermione was quick to seat herself next to George, rather than Ron, and she made a point to not be alone in a room, lest he find her.

Harry waited until Christmas dinner was over and took Ginny for a walk outside near the pond. While it was chilly, it was blessedly quiet outside. When they were far enough away that they couldn’t see the house, he got down on one knee and asked Ginevra if she would be his wife.

The uproar when they walked back in the door was instantaneous, as everyone wanted to congratulate the couple and see Ginny’s ring. It’s a good thing that Harry was already quite used to the noise. Ron grabbed them both and wished them a hearty congratulations, but Harry noticed that Ron's eyes had drifted over to where Hermione was holding Bill and Fleur’s infant daughter, keeping her out of the fray. Soon after giving her own congrats to the newly engaged couple, Hermione said her goodbyes and ducked out.

The Friday before New Year’s Eve found a light crowd at the Leaky. Some were off with their families. Others were on vacation. Draco had taken Hermione off to Paris for the weekend. It wasn’t until they returned to London that Harry got a look at the ring on her finger. According to Ginny, he had proposed at the top of the Eiffel Tower, and she had said yes.

Harry was thrilled for both of them. He had known that it was coming, given that Malfoy had asked for his permission, along with Hermione’s parents.

Ron, however, was beside himself.

“I don’t understand it. Malfoy? Why would she say yes?” Ron wanted to know.

“Why wouldn’t she?” Harry reasoned. “He’s been courting her for quite some time now, and they are very happy together.”

“But she was supposed to wait for me. We’re supposed to be together in the end.”

Harry shook his head sadly, this was the result he hadn’t wanted. Hermione had been nothing but honest with Ron. It wasn’t her fault that he refused to listen. To tell the truth, he was a little mad at Ron for being such an idiot.

“If you wanted to be with her, you should have been with her. What do you mean she was supposed to wait for you?”

“I told her I needed time. That there were things I needed to do. I thought she understood.”

“Do you hear yourself?” Harry asked. “Just because she understood doesn’t mean that she had to sit on the sidelines while you were doing whatever you wanted to do. In what kind of world does that make sense?”

Ron continued as if he hadn’t heard Harry’s comments. “I mean, if she had a problem with it, she could have just told me.”

“Ron…you are skating on thin ice here. Hermione has been nothing but upfront with you this whole time. You are the one who broke things off with her before we went back to school. And somehow, she is responsible for your actions when all she did was live her life?"

“Why are you taking sides with Malfoy??” Ron was turning red.

“I’m not on anyone’s side. I told you this was going to be a problem. It’s no one’s fault but your own that you’ve been walking around with your head up your ass, expecting Hermione to sit by and wait for you while you take who knows how long to get your act together?”

“You know, I bet she’s just trying to get my attention.” Ron got a wistful look on his face. “I can win her back. She loves me.”

“Ron. No. You had your chance with Hermione, you blew it.”

Ron just waived Harry off as he stepped into the floo. “I didn’t. You’ll see.”

It was at Harry and Ginny’s wedding that summer where Ron first had to come to terms with seeing Draco and Hermione as an engaged couple. He sat stewing in the corner for much of the evening, as everyone else danced and celebrated. Harry felt bad, but it was his wedding day and he didn’t want to detract from that to deal with Ron’s bad attitude.

At one point, Draco cut in and asked to dance with the bride. Harry happily stepped back and was surprised to see Hermione walking over to Ron, and pulling him to the dance floor.

Harry stood nearby, close enough to overhear their quiet conversation, but tried to be unobtrusive - at least as unobtrusive a groom can be at his own wedding.

“Why have you been sulking in the corner all night?” Hermione asked Ron gently, while surreptitiously moving Ron’s hand up to her back.

“You know why.” Ron nearly growled at her.

Hermione looked up at him, her eyes were filling with tears. “You’re not being fair, Ron.”

“What? So I’m just supposed to be happy for you and Malfoy?”

“Yes. You should be. He makes me happy. He cares for me. We make a great team.” She paused. “You should want that for me.”

“I thought you wanted to be with me, ‘Mione.” Ron softened.

“At one time I did, but you said you weren’t ready to be in a relationship with me. And when Draco asked me to the Yule Ball, something in our friendship started to shift. I didn’t ask for it, but I certainly couldn’t deny it, either.”

Hermione stopped dancing, reached up and put her hand against Ron’s cheek. “You are one of my best friends, Ron. But you need to live your life, as I need to live mine. I am always happy when our paths cross, but we aren’t walking on the same path, and we haven’t for a long time.”

Ron turned his face and gently kissed the palm that rested against his cheek. “I don’t like it.”

“I know, but that doesn’t really matter. You’ll get used to it, just like I got through you and Lav Lav.” Hermione gave a small chuckle. “And, you’ll find someone to make you just as happy as I am.”

She stepped away from Ron, and Harry took the opportunity to dance with her, himself. Ron headed back towards his corner.

“You okay?” Harry looked down at his other oldest and best friend.

Hermione’s eyes were glistening, but she gave a small smile. “Me, I’m good. This is your day, Harry. Now, let’s go find the new Mrs. Potter, I’m sure she’s had enough time out of your arms.

Harry smiled back at Hermione, and scanned the room, finding a tall blond head who seemed to be having way too much fun with the bride. He completely agreed with Hermione, it was time to find his wife.

Fin.


End file.
